England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's current ability to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
